Radiation imaging system, radiation control apparatus and method of controlling radiation imaging system

Abstract

A radiation imaging system is provided. The radiation imaging system comprises an irradiation control apparatus configured to control a timing of radiation irradiation by a radiation generating apparatus and a radiation imaging apparatus configured to communicate by at least one synchronous communication method to synchronize with the radiation irradiation. The irradiation control apparatus comprises a determination unit configured to determine an imaging mode that has been set and a synchronous communication method which can be supported by the radiation imaging apparatus, and a control unit configured to control, based on the determination result, the timing of the radiation irradiation by a synchronous communication method corresponding to the imaging mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A radiation imaging system comprising an irradiation control apparatus configured to control a timing of radiation irradiation by a radiation generating apparatus and a radiation imaging apparatus configured to communicate by at least one synchronous communication method to synchronize with the radiation irradiation, the irradiation control apparatus comprising:
 a determination unit configured to determine an imaging mode that has been set and a synchronous communication method which can be supported by the radiation imaging apparatus; and 
 a control unit configured to control, based on the determination result, the timing of the radiation irradiation by a synchronous communication method corresponding to the imaging mode, wherein 
 the synchronous communication method includes a time synchronization method in which communication is performed to match (i) a time of an internal timer included in the irradiation control apparatus and (ii) a time of an internal timer included in radiation imaging apparatus, and in which radiation irradiation is performed based on the time of the internal timer included in the irradiation control apparatus, and a driving timing of an image receiver is controlled based on the time of the internal timer included in the radiation imaging apparatus, and 
 the synchronous communication method further includes a sequential synchronization method in which the control unit outputs an imaging permission that allows radiation irradiation to be performed, after imaging preparation has been completed in the radiation imaging apparatus in response to an imaging request from the irradiation control apparatus. 
 
     
     
       2. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to switch communication with the radiation imaging apparatus based on the determination result. 
     
     
       3. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the determination unit is configured to determine, based on the imaging mode, whether a setting to perform imaging by automatic detection of radiation is set, and
 if the determination result determines that the setting to perform imaging by the automatic detection of radiation is set, the control unit is configured not to control a start timing and an end timing of the radiation irradiation by the radiation generating apparatus. 
 
     
     
       4. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the imaging mode includes moving image capturing and still image capturing, and
 the control unit is configured to control the timing of the radiation irradiation by the time synchronization in the moving image capturing, and to control the timing of the radiation irradiation by the sequential synchronization in the still image capturing. 
 
     
     
       5. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the synchronous communication method that can be supported by the radiation imaging apparatus based on identification information set to the radiation imaging apparatus, and the identification information is obtained by one of communication with the radiation imaging apparatus and communication with a relay apparatus which is used in combination with the radiation imaging apparatus. 
     
     
       6. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the radiation imaging apparatus comprises:
 a communication unit configured to obtain time information of the irradiation control apparatus by exchanging a message with the irradiation control apparatus; and 
 a time control unit configured to synchronize time information of an internal timer with the time information of the irradiation control apparatus. 
 
     
     
       7. The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the time control unit is configured to estimate a reply time at which the irradiation control apparatus transmitted the reply message based on an inquiry transmission time of the message and a reply reception time at which a reply message to the message is received from the irradiation control apparatus. 
     
     
       8. The system according to  claim 7 , wherein a reply transmission time at which the irradiation control apparatus transmitted the reply message is stored in the reply message. 
     
     
       9. The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the time control unit is configured to obtain a correction value of the time from a difference time between the estimated reply time and the reply transmission time to correct the time information of the internal timer by the correction value. 
     
     
       10. A radiation control apparatus configured to control a timing of radiation irradiation by a radiation generating apparatus and to communicate with a radiation imaging apparatus by at least one synchronous communication method to synchronize with the radiation irradiation, comprising:
 a determination unit configured to determine an imaging mode that has been set and a synchronous communication method which can be supported by the radiation imaging apparatus; and 
 a control Unit configured to control, based on the determination result, the timing of the radiation irradiation by a synchronous communication method corresponding to the imaging mode, wherein 
 the synchronous communication method includes a time synchronization method in which communication is performed to match (i) a time of an internal timer included in the irradiation control apparatus and (ii) a time of an internal timer included in radiation imaging apparatus, and in which radiation irradiation is performed based on the time of the internal timer included ii the irradiation control apparatus, and a driving timing of an image receiver is controlled based on the time of the internal timer included in the radiation imaging apparatus, and 
 the synchronous communication method further includes a sequential synchronization method in which the control unit outputs an imaging permission that allows radiation irradiation to be performed, after imaging preparation has been completed in the radiation imaging apparatus in response to an imaging request from the irradiation control apparatus. 
 
     
     
       11. A method of controlling a radiation imaging system that comprises an irradiation control apparatus configured to control the timing of radiation irradiation by a radiation generating apparatus and a radiation imaging apparatus configured to communicate by at least one synchronous communication method to synchronize with the radiation irradiation, the method comprising the steps of:
 determining an imaging mode that has been set and a synchronous communication method which can be supported by the radiation imaging apparatus, and 
 controlling, based on a result from the determining, the timing of the radiation irradiation by a synchronous communication method corresponding to the imaging mode, wherein 
 the synchronous Communication method includes a time synchronization method in which communication is performed to match (i) a time of an internal timer included in the irradiation control apparatus and (ii) a time of an internal timer included in radiation imaging apparatus, and in which radiation irradiation is performed based on the time of the internal timer included in the irradiation control apparatus, and a driving timing of an image receiver is controlled based on the time of the internal timer included in the radiation imaging apparatus, and 
 the synchronous communication method further includes a sequential synchronization method in which the control unit outputs an imaging permission that allows radiation irradiation to be performed, after imaging preparation has been completed in the radiation imaging apparatus in response to an imaging request from the irradiation control apparatus.